Pressing and sustaining means for spring-beard needles



A. M. PIGEON.

PRESSLNG ANDv SUSTAINING MEANS FOR SPRING BEARD NEEDLES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.6. 1919.

l ,4 3,15 Patented Jan. W, 11922,

15 jofl ALBERT M. PIGEOIT, OF ITORRISTOV l l', PENNSYLVANIA.

ERESSING AND SUSTAINING IrIEANS FOR SPRING-BEARD NEEDLES.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

, Patented Jan. it), 19232.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT M. PIGEON, a citizen of the United States,residing at llorristown, in the county of Montgomery and State ofPennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPressing and Sustaining Means for Spring- Beard Needles, whereof thefollowing is a specification, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings.

The invention relates to knitting machines, and more especially toknitters in which spring beard needles are employed such, for example,as the type shown and described in the U. S. patent, Serial, lilo.1,266,045, granted to me under date of May 1 1-, 1918.

Heretofore in the operation of such machines considerable trouble hasbeen experienced through the fracture of the needle beards owing tolateral flexure under pull occasioned by enlargements, knots or otherirregularities in the yarn. If the beards were not directly broken bythe lateral strain thus produced, fracture was sure to result fromretraction of the needles during stitch formation, either bytheengagement of the deflected beards with the top of the needlecylinder adjacent the needle grooves, or by the hooking of the beardsabout the associated web holders. this diliiculty, T have provided meansfor positively sustaining the beards of the needles against such lateralflexure at the critical period, i. e., at thetime when the tips of thedescending needle beards are passing over the yarns during the feedingof the latter.

A further diiiiculty heretofore met with in the employment ofspringbeard needles, was to insure the feeding of the yarn positivelybeneath the tips of the beards. This obstacle I overcome by preventingbowing of the yarn away from the needle shanks during feeding, so thatengagement beneath the beards is positively assured during retraction ofthe needles in stitch formation.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. I, is a fragmentary sectional viewthrough the needle cylinder of a circular knitter, and its appendages.conveniently illustrating my in 'vention. V

Fi II, is a perspective view of one of the improved beard pressers whichI employ.

Fig. HT, is a detail sectional view on an enlarged scale showing therelative positions In order to obviate of the presser, yarn, and the endor tip of the needle beard at the time of passing the yarn prior to thedrawing of a loop.

Fig. TV, is a diagrammatic plan view showing the relative positions ofthe needle, the co-operative beard presser, and the associated webholder.

Referring first to Fi I, it will be noted that the generalcharacteristics of the structure are identical with those of Figs; I andill, of the patents cited. This structure includes a needle cylinderherein indicated by the numeral 1, and shown as formed with the usuallongitudinal grooves 2, within which are slidably supported the needles3. Said needles are of a standard type having the spring beardsindicated at l.

Mounted in the groove 2 with each needle 1 is a beard presser 5, havingnear its lower end a notch 6, which is engaged by a spring band 7. Thisband is common to the entire series of pressers, serving asa general anduniversal retainer and also preventing vertical movement of the pressersduring the operation of the needles. The pressers adapted to be rockedabout the fulcrum afforded by a curved bulge Sthereon, under theactuation of the cam. 9, operative against their tops, (see Fig. III).Each of said pressers is formed with an inclined upper cam surface oredge 10, adapted to engage the needle heard to gradually depress thesame when the needle is drawn downwardly to form the stitch. Adjacentthis cam edge, at one side. the presser has an extended offsetprojection 11 (preferably integral) upward and forward from the inclinedsurface 10 to a point substantiall just above the lower end of saidsurface 10 and substantially at (i. e., as shown, a little above) thelevel of the upper end of said surface 10. This projection 11 has theconfiguration clearly shown in Figs. 1, IT and HT, and is adapted,primarily, to sustain or steady the beard against lateral :liexure aswill be presently explained. The tip of the extension is rounded as at12, for a purpose later set forth herein.

Associated with the needles are individ" ual web holders 13, which aremounted for horizontal reciprocation in appropriate slots formed in adial ring 1 1, attachedto the top of the needle cylinder 1. Said webholders are of the usual type, and are actuated by means of a cam ring15, in a manner clearly set forth in the patent referred to.

In operation, the yarn Y (see Figs. I and IV) is lald against the shanksof the needles, and the latter are retracted or drawn downward to formstitches, under the control of cams of any approved type (not shown).During their descent, the tips of the needle beards 4 pass over theyarn, and are immediately thereafter depressed by engagement with thecam inclines 10, of the pressers 5. Were it not for the support affordedthe beard #lby the projection 11 about at and after its first engagementwith the yarn Y, any knot or other enlargement K in the yarn (Fig. IV)would act (owing to th-e relative motion of the yarn indirated by thearrow) to deflect the beard 4 laterally and hook it about the adjacentweb holder, andconsequently break it during further retraction of theneedle.

Referring now to Fig. III, it will be seen thatthe rounded tip 12, ofthe projection 11, of the beard presser facilitates the passage of theyarn behind the same during feeding. As a consequence the yarnsubsequently reeves into the inter-space between the presser 5 and theneedle shank, and is thus prevented from bowing outwardly and away fromsaid shank during the descent of the needle to form a fabric loop, sothat positive feeding beneath the beard 4: is assured.

From the above it will be seen that by the present invention I haveovercome two of themost'serious drawbacks (previously referred to) whichheretofore prevented the more general adaptationof spring beard needlesto knitting machines more especially designed for fine gauge work.

While I have herein-shown and described my invention asbeing applied toa circular knitting machine, it is to be understood that I do not wishto 'be so limited since it may be incorporated with equal advantages inmachines of the straight or bar type.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. Ina knitting machine, the combination of a spring beard needle, meansfor depressing the needle beard, and means for sustaining the beardagainst lateral 'fleirure by the yarn at and after its first engagementwith the yarn, as wellas during depression by said depressing means.

2. In a knitting machine, the combination of a spring beard needle,means for dean inclined beard-depressing upper surface,

and an extended lateral beard'support proecting upward and forward fromsaid surface at one side'thereof for SLlStttlIllIl the 7 7 l3 needle;beard against lateral fleXure by the yarn at and after its firstengagement with the yarn.

a. A spring beard needlepresser having an inclined beard-depressingupper surface,

and a lateral beard support pro ecting upward and forward from saidsurface, at one side'thereof, to a point substantially just above thelower end of said surface and substantially at the level of its upperend, for sustaining the needle beard against lateral flexure by the yarnduring feeding.

5. A spring beard needle presser having an inclined bearddepressingupper surface, and a lateral beardsupport' projecting upward and forwardfrom said surface, at one side thereof, to a rounded tip substantiallyjust above the lower end of saidsurfaie and above the level of its upperend, for guiding the yarn behindthe presser and sustaining theneedlebeard against lateral flexure during feedin 6. A spring beardneedle presser having an inclined beard-depressing upper surface, and anextended laterally offset beard support projecting upward and forwardfrom said surface, at one side thereof, for sustaining the needle beardagainst lateral fieXure by theyarn at and after its first engagementtherewith. V

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name at Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, this fourth day of December, 1919/ ALBERT M. Prenon.

"Witnesses: i V 4 J AMns' H. BEL E. L. FULLERTON.

